Elements for supporting and bracing sealed-glazing units

ABSTRACT

A supporting and bracing element is disclosed for engaging an edge of a plate-like unit such as a sealed glazing unit, received by a frame. The supporting and bracing element comprises an elongated disc-shaped body having at least two longitudinally extending edge ribs. At least one loop formation extends between the edge ribs at one of their short sides and also extends perpendicular to the upper- or underside of the edge ribs beyond the thickness of the edge ribs. The loop formation is movable for being jammed between the edge portion of the sealed glazing unit and the surrounding frame bar during the mounting of the sealed glazing unit.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

I. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to elements for supporting and bracingsealed-glazing units or similar plate-like bodies intended to be placedbetween the edge portion of a sealed glazing unit and the surroundingframe bar in order to support or brace the sealed glazing unit at apredetermined distance from the frame bar.

II. Description of the Prior Art

Supporting and bracing elements are used when mounting sealed-glazingunits between the edge portion of the sealed-glazing unit and the framebar in order to support the sealed-glazing unit and when casementwindows are used also to brace said unit laterally. The purpose of theelements is to distribute the pressure forces acting between the unitand the casement or frame in a manner so controlled that the panes ofglass in the unit take up substantially equal pressure forces. Theelements used up to now usually consist of an elongated, disc-shapedbody, the width of which exceeds by a short distance the width of saidunit. A large problem in using the known elements occurs especially whenbracing said units laterally. In these cases jamming forces between theunit and the surrounding frame bar often cannot keep the elements intheir positions so that the elements therefore slide down along theflange of the frame bar and are gathered in the lowermost corner of thesealed glazing unit.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An object of the present invention is to provide a supporting andbracing element of the type described in the introduction, in which thedrawbacks to be found with the known elements mentioned above areentirely eliminated without using adhesive or other mounts which areexpensive and difficult to handle. This is obtained with an element ofthe kind in question which, in accordance with the invention, comprisesat least two parallel, longitudinally extending edge ribs connected toeach other by a central part having a thickness less than the thicknessof the parallelly extending edge ribs. Said ribs are provided with atleast one loop formation located between the two edge ribs in atransverse direction preferably at one of their short sides. Said loopformation extends perpendicular to the upper-or underside of the edgeribs a distance exceeding the thickness of the edge ribs and said loopformation being provided to be jammed between the edge portion of thesealed glazing unit and the surrounding frame bar before or whenmounting the sealed glazing unit.

By virtue of the invention there is now obtained a supporting andbracing element which admirably fulfils its objects, but which issimultaneously simple and cheap to manufacture. By means of the loopformation of the supporting and bracing element, it is prevented fromsliding downwards before or when mounting the glazing bar. The parallelelongated edge ribs, owing to their elongated grooving, can be combinedor coupled together with corresponding grooving on the edge ribs ofother supporting and bracing elements without sliding laterally inrelation to each other. By the special configuration of the centrallylocated part a drainage is obtained permitting condensation or moistureto get out from the frame bar by way of drainage openings provided insaid frame bar. The locking pins extending from one side of the edgeribs in a direction opposite to the loop formation are provided to fixthe supporting and bracing element in its placed position after mountingof the glazing bar.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

So that the invention will be more readily understood and furtherfeatures thereby made apparent, an exemplary embodiment of the inventionwill now be described with reference to the accompanying schematicdrawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a supporting and bracing elementaccording to the present invention.

FIG. 2 illustrates an element according to the invention mounted in aglazed frame bar.

FIG. 3 illustrates the mounting of elements in a frame bar whichinclines 15°-45° and is intended to be used for a specially hung frame.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

In FIG. 1, the supporting and bracing element 1 comprises two elongatedparallel edge ribs 2,3. Said ribs 2,3 are connected to each other by alarge number of transverse ribs 4 constituting a centrally located part5. The thickness of the central part 5 of the transverse ribs 4 is lessthan the thickness of the edge ribs 2,3 in order to form a draininggroove 6 for removing condensation or moisture. Each of the transverseribs 4 forming the central part 5 is arched with its thickness taperingin a direction towards its central portion. A loop formation 8 isprovided at the end 7 of the edge ribs 2,3, said formation 8 connectingthe edge ribs 2,3 and extending perpendicular to said edge ribs 2,3. Theloop formation 8 has an extension perpendicular to the upper side of thesupporting and bracing element which is generally about the same as thethickness of the edge ribs 2,3. When mounting the element 1 between theedge portion 10 of a sealed glazing unit 9 and a surrounding frame bar11 as shown in FIG. 2 the loop formation 8 is compressible to the samethickness as the edge ribs 2,3, which is made possible by the locationof the loop formation 8 outside the short side 12 of the edge ribs 2,3.The loop formation 8 is fastened to the ends 7 of the edge ribs 2,3.

A grooving 13 is provided on the upper- and under side of the edge ribs2,3. Said grooving 13 extends in a longitudinal direction and isintended to couple together or connect a lot of elements 1 placed on topof each other and at the same time to prevent a sliding movementlaterally of the elements 1 in relation to each other. Two locking pins14 are provided on one longitudinal side of the edge ribs 2,3 and extendfrom the edge ribs 2,3 in a direction opposite to the direction of theloop formation 8. The locking pins 14 are provided to fix the supportingand bracing element 1 after mounting of a glazing bar 15, as shown inFIG. 2. The supporting and bracing elements 1 are preferablymanufactured of plastics material with different thicknesses of the edgeribs 2,3 for example 2, 3 and 5 mm. If the elements 1 one on the top ofanother the thickness is the actual distance which exists between theedge portion 10 of a sealed glazing unit 9 and a surrounding frame bar11. In order to more easily distinguish elements 1 having differentthicknesses from each other, a special colour can be used for eachthickness.

We claim:
 1. An element for supporting and bracing a plate-like unit ina frame, comprising:first and second parallel edge ribs extending in alongitudinal direction, each of the edge ribs having a firstlongitudinally extending side for being mounted against a plate-likeunit and a second longitudinally extending side opposite the first sidefor being mounted against a frame, the first and second sides of eachedge rib being spaced apart by a rib thickness, the edge ribs beingspaced apart from each other in a transverse direction generallyperpendicular both to the longitudinal direction and the rib thickness;a central part between the first and second edge ribs for connecting theedge ribs to each other; and a loop member extending generally in thetransverse direction between the first and second edge ribs, the loopmember being movable in the direction of rib thickness between a firstposition in which the loop member extends beyond one of the first andsecond sides of the first and second edge ribs and a second position inwhich the loop member is jammed between the plate-like unit and theframe for holding the element in position while the plate-like unit ismounted in the frame.
 2. The element of claim 1 in which the centralpart has a thickness less than the rib thickness for forming a drainagegroove.
 3. The element of claim 1 in which the loop formation has athickness which is about the same as the rib thickness.
 4. The elementof claim 1 in which each of the first and second sides of each of thefirst and second edge ribs has grooves extending in the longitudinaldirection defined therein for fitting the element against an adjacentelement like the first-mentioned element and for preventing thefirst-mentioned element and the adjacent element from sliding in thetransverse direction relative to each other.
 5. The element of claim 1in which the central part comprises a plurality of transverse ribsextending in the transverse direction between the first and second edgeribs.
 6. The element of claim 5 in which each of the transverse ribs hasa central portion and has a thickness tapering toward the centralportion.
 7. The element of claim 1 in which each of the first and secondedge ribs has an end side, the end sides together defining an end of theedge ribs, the loop formation being located generally beyond the end ofthe edge ribs, the loop formation being connected between the end sideof the first rib and the end side of the second rib.
 8. The element ofclaim 1 in which the loop formation extends beyond one of the first andsecond sides in the first position, one of the first and second edgeribs having a longitudinal side disposed away from the other of the edgeribs, the element further comprising a locking pin on the longitudinalside extending in a direction opposite the loop formation beyond theother one of the first and second sides for holding the element inposition after the plate-like unit is mounted in the frame.
 9. Anelement for supporting and bracing a glazing unit in a frame,comprising:first and second parallel edge ribs extending in alongitudinal direction, each of the ribs having a first longitudinallyextending side for being mounted against a glazing unit and a secondlongitudinally extending side opposite the first side for being mountedagainst a frame, the first and second sides of each edge rib beingspaced apart by a rib thickness, the first and second edge ribs beingspaced apart from each other in a transverse direction generallyperpendicular both to the longitudinal direction and the rib thickness;each of the first and second edge ribs having a respective longitudinalside extending in the longitudinal direction and disposed away from theother rib, the longitudinal sides of the first and second ribs beingspaced apart in the transverse direction by a width generally about thesame as width of the glazing unit; a central part between the first andsecond ribs for connecting the ribs to each other, the central parthaving a thickness less than the rib thickness; and a loop formationextending generally in the transverse direction between the first andsecond ribs, the loop formation being movable in the direction of ribthickness between a first position in which the loop formation extendsbeyond one of the first and second sides of the first and second edgeribs and a second position in which the loop formation is jammed betweenthe glazing unit and the frame for holding the element in position whilethe glazing unit is mounted in the frame.
 10. The element of claim 9 inwhich the loop formation has a thickness which is about the same as therib thickness.
 11. The element of claim 9 in which each of the first andsecond sides of each of the first and second edge ribs has groovesextending in the longitudinal direction defined therein for fitting theelement against an adjacent element like the first-mentioned element andfor preventing the first-mentioned element and the adjacent element fromsliding in the transverse direction relative to each other.
 12. Theelement of claim 9 in which the central part comprises a plurality oftransverse ribs extending in the transverse direction between the firstand second edge ribs.
 13. The element of claim 12 in which each of thetransverse ribs has a central portion and has a thickness taperingtoward the central portion.
 14. The element of claim 9 in which each ofthe first and second edge ribs has an end side, the end sides togetherdefining an end of the edge ribs, the loop formation being locatedgenerally beyond the end of the edge ribs, the loop formation beingconnected between the end side of the first rib and the end side of thesecond rib.
 15. The element of claim 9 in which the loop formationextends beyond one of the first and second sides in the first position,the element further comprising at least two locking pins on therespective longitudinal side of one of the first and second ribs, thelocking pins extending in a direction opposite the loop formation beyondthe other one of the first and second sides for holding the element inposition after the glazing unit is mounted in the frame.